Reviews

The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson

saralynnburnett's review against another edition

5.0

This book BLOOMED! I had an admittedly rough start but once I got going on it I couldn't put it down. I love all the Bajan details in here that brought the island and the culture to life on the page and I also adored that this story had some hope in it. Lots of it actually. So many novels of the Caribbean don't - this one did. The love between these two sisters Dionne and Phaedra is so real that even when it's "not there," you know it is. Jackson has the sibling thing down perfectly. The grandmother Hyacinth is my new hero and honestly, I could have kept reading about these three characters for another thousand pages. Can we get a part 2 please?

nawakhtha's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

mbsquared's review

emotional

4.0

dinahrachel's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I see why so many people recommend this book. Taken me ages to track a copy down and I'm so pleased I did. 

remigves's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bellaroobookworm's review against another edition

5.0

What a phenomenal novel. Naomi Jackson unveiled the magic and beauty of Barbados, transported me straight into Bird Hill. She perfectly captured the yearning, the stubbornness, the impetuousness of Dionne and Phaedra, the fierce love of Hyacinth, the taut thread of family that ties the people of Bird Hill to their home and each other.

This was an instant win for me, a book I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for something fresh, beautiful, magical, and real. I could feel Jackson's artistic energy working off of and expanding on authors like Jamaica Kincaid and Jean Rhys.

I cannot praise this novel enough. Thank you, Naomi Jackson, for transporting me to beautiful Barbados, for integrating patois into your work, for weaving magic and truth together. Thank you for bringing Phaedra, Dionne, and Hyacinth to life. Thank you for enriching my life with this novel. I am a lifelong fan.

saraklem's review against another edition

4.0

Simultaneously so colorful and so dark - like there was a film of sadness over the bright hues of the Barbados backdrop. The characters were just so vibrant...Hyacinth the embodiment of tough love, Dionne - a wily teen who has seen some shit. And poor Jean, he might have been my favorite. The book also made me realize how scarcely I've read the intersection of race and mental health.

bookdragon217's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, and Homophobia

smalllimebooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Suicide

marmarlad's review against another edition

5.0

Meditative and kind of slow but profound. Mellow tackling of heavy issues, somehow? The girls struggling with their mother’s depression really got me, and I so deeply loved Phaedra. Just makes me feel warm, I feel like I'd actually read it again and get more out of it. The grandmother is an incredible character.